troy goldsby
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2011
- Messages
- 114
To All,
Let me start by saying I appreciate everyone that takes the time to read this post, respond, ask questions, and just generally clear the air. I am Troy Goldsby with Aqua Services, Inc., the Lake and Pond management company that is providing the aquatic herbicide applications for the private homeowners on all of the Tennessee River Reservoirs. Aqua Services, Inc. was founded in 1982 primarily as an aquatic herbicide application company and eventually became a full-scale lake and pond management/fishery management/herbicide application company. We work for many governmental agencies, power companies, corporations, and private citizens across the country and even into many Caribbean countries. We are chartered in Tennessee through the TDA, licensed and bonded, and the applicators in Tennessee are all well trained, certified, and licensed aquatic herbicide applicators. With corporate history stated, I will move onto the meat of the matter.
I know that many are skeptical of the herbicide applications that we provide for private property owners on the Tennessee River, but let me personally assure you that everything that we do is in accordance with all laws and is conducted in the most scientific, environmentally sound, and cost effective manners. The herbicides that we use have been around for decades and are typically used initially in terrestrial work. Most of the herbicides that we use are still used, through different labeling and trade names, in terrestrial work from crop production to turf and ornamental industries. None of the herbicides that we use have any swimming restrictions or fish consumption restrictions. There are some irrigation and drinking water restrictions in the immediate vicinity of the treatments but do not extend to surrounding areas that are not treated. Any restrictions typically last for 3 to 5 days. Every dock that we treat will be posted on the water and shore sides for all to see with all of the herbicide names listed, any restrictions associated with those herbicides, permit numbers, and any pertinent contact information for the permittee and state agencies. Also, per our permits, we will only treat within 100’ of fixed structures with the exception of some 50’ wide boat lanes that will provide homeowners with access to deeper water.
There are currently several aquatic herbicide application permits on Chickamauga issued by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and we are the contractor for all of those permits. Eventually, there will only be one permit on Chickamauga for private homeowners and it is currently in place and is issued to the Tennessee River Property Owners’ Aquatic Resource Management Association (TRPOARMA). This is a not for profit corporation that I founded to aid Tennessee River Property Owners in their vegetation control efforts and to help educate all concerned about all aquatic resource management issues, not just aquatic vegetation control. The permits issued have the same restrictions as listed above but do allow us to use any EPA and TDA approved aquatic herbicides. These herbicides include but are not limited to diquat dibromide (many trade names), Aquathol K, Aquathol Super K, Hydrothol, Hydrothol granules, 2,4-d, Clipper, Habitat, Refuge, Cygnet Plus, Chelated Copper (many trade names), Fluridone (many trade names), and a few more. These products all have certain niches and are very effective and safe. Also, just so everyone understands, I know there are some bad sentiments about Fluridone, most commonly known as Sonar or Whitecap, but it is one of the best and most selective herbicides that we have in our arsenal. Most think that it kills everything, and it will if used in an inappropriate manner, but when used correctly we can take a vegetation colony with hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum), and native species combined and only eliminate the exotics, milfoil and hydrilla. Also, it works in parts per billion, not parts per million like most herbicides. We are not currently using fluridone and in most open reservoirs it is not possible because of the cost more than anything, I just wanted to set the record straight.
I have been around these herbicides my entire life, and I am now 34. I know that y’all are passionate about your fishing and that is great. I am just as passionate about what I do and only want to make sure that the truth is known and dispel the rumors and myths that are so commonly blogged about. It is also important to state that the amount of weeds we spray on any of these reservoirs will never affect the fishery; there is too much other vegetation for fish to use as cover. We are not an anti-vegetation company, we even have some native species that we recommend for planting in private impoundments for fish habitat, but invasive non-native species are not the way to go. Vegetation is not necessarily a bad thing, but the wrong species and too much of any species is a negative for everyone. I can assure you, topped out mats of hydrilla hold very few fish if any, and even kill fish that become trapped in them due to oxygen loss that is very common in areas with too much aquatic vegetation. Even when discussing native species, like coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum), reservoirs, even coves can have too much. Take a few cloudy hot days, followed by some real hot nights, and those plants will drop the oxygen levels so low that fish will die. These thick areas of vegetation also make foraging virtually impossible for predator fish, which leads to skinny, unhealthy large mouth bass. Simply stated, too much vegetation is a negative influence on any fishery.
Please receive this with the same good nature with which it is sent. I know this is a contentious subject, but these homeowners need access to the lake, their property taxes astronomical and these aquatic vegetation species reduce their property taxes as much as 50% in some cases. Just know that we work diligently at what we do, we do it extremely well, and it is very safe. The amount of herbicides that we apply to reservoirs is not even a drop in the bucket compared to what runs off from the surrounding lands on a daily basis, and besides that, many of them are the same products just with different names.
I wish everyone well and I look forward to answering any of your questions and discussing your concerns. I hope to see you all very soon on the reservoir. One last note, any meetings that you have that you would like for me to attend to answer questions just give me a shout, I’ll get it on the schedule if at all possible.
Thanks,
Troy L. Goldsby
Aqua Services, Inc.
256-572-4464
[email protected]
Let me start by saying I appreciate everyone that takes the time to read this post, respond, ask questions, and just generally clear the air. I am Troy Goldsby with Aqua Services, Inc., the Lake and Pond management company that is providing the aquatic herbicide applications for the private homeowners on all of the Tennessee River Reservoirs. Aqua Services, Inc. was founded in 1982 primarily as an aquatic herbicide application company and eventually became a full-scale lake and pond management/fishery management/herbicide application company. We work for many governmental agencies, power companies, corporations, and private citizens across the country and even into many Caribbean countries. We are chartered in Tennessee through the TDA, licensed and bonded, and the applicators in Tennessee are all well trained, certified, and licensed aquatic herbicide applicators. With corporate history stated, I will move onto the meat of the matter.
I know that many are skeptical of the herbicide applications that we provide for private property owners on the Tennessee River, but let me personally assure you that everything that we do is in accordance with all laws and is conducted in the most scientific, environmentally sound, and cost effective manners. The herbicides that we use have been around for decades and are typically used initially in terrestrial work. Most of the herbicides that we use are still used, through different labeling and trade names, in terrestrial work from crop production to turf and ornamental industries. None of the herbicides that we use have any swimming restrictions or fish consumption restrictions. There are some irrigation and drinking water restrictions in the immediate vicinity of the treatments but do not extend to surrounding areas that are not treated. Any restrictions typically last for 3 to 5 days. Every dock that we treat will be posted on the water and shore sides for all to see with all of the herbicide names listed, any restrictions associated with those herbicides, permit numbers, and any pertinent contact information for the permittee and state agencies. Also, per our permits, we will only treat within 100’ of fixed structures with the exception of some 50’ wide boat lanes that will provide homeowners with access to deeper water.
There are currently several aquatic herbicide application permits on Chickamauga issued by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and we are the contractor for all of those permits. Eventually, there will only be one permit on Chickamauga for private homeowners and it is currently in place and is issued to the Tennessee River Property Owners’ Aquatic Resource Management Association (TRPOARMA). This is a not for profit corporation that I founded to aid Tennessee River Property Owners in their vegetation control efforts and to help educate all concerned about all aquatic resource management issues, not just aquatic vegetation control. The permits issued have the same restrictions as listed above but do allow us to use any EPA and TDA approved aquatic herbicides. These herbicides include but are not limited to diquat dibromide (many trade names), Aquathol K, Aquathol Super K, Hydrothol, Hydrothol granules, 2,4-d, Clipper, Habitat, Refuge, Cygnet Plus, Chelated Copper (many trade names), Fluridone (many trade names), and a few more. These products all have certain niches and are very effective and safe. Also, just so everyone understands, I know there are some bad sentiments about Fluridone, most commonly known as Sonar or Whitecap, but it is one of the best and most selective herbicides that we have in our arsenal. Most think that it kills everything, and it will if used in an inappropriate manner, but when used correctly we can take a vegetation colony with hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum), and native species combined and only eliminate the exotics, milfoil and hydrilla. Also, it works in parts per billion, not parts per million like most herbicides. We are not currently using fluridone and in most open reservoirs it is not possible because of the cost more than anything, I just wanted to set the record straight.
I have been around these herbicides my entire life, and I am now 34. I know that y’all are passionate about your fishing and that is great. I am just as passionate about what I do and only want to make sure that the truth is known and dispel the rumors and myths that are so commonly blogged about. It is also important to state that the amount of weeds we spray on any of these reservoirs will never affect the fishery; there is too much other vegetation for fish to use as cover. We are not an anti-vegetation company, we even have some native species that we recommend for planting in private impoundments for fish habitat, but invasive non-native species are not the way to go. Vegetation is not necessarily a bad thing, but the wrong species and too much of any species is a negative for everyone. I can assure you, topped out mats of hydrilla hold very few fish if any, and even kill fish that become trapped in them due to oxygen loss that is very common in areas with too much aquatic vegetation. Even when discussing native species, like coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum), reservoirs, even coves can have too much. Take a few cloudy hot days, followed by some real hot nights, and those plants will drop the oxygen levels so low that fish will die. These thick areas of vegetation also make foraging virtually impossible for predator fish, which leads to skinny, unhealthy large mouth bass. Simply stated, too much vegetation is a negative influence on any fishery.
Please receive this with the same good nature with which it is sent. I know this is a contentious subject, but these homeowners need access to the lake, their property taxes astronomical and these aquatic vegetation species reduce their property taxes as much as 50% in some cases. Just know that we work diligently at what we do, we do it extremely well, and it is very safe. The amount of herbicides that we apply to reservoirs is not even a drop in the bucket compared to what runs off from the surrounding lands on a daily basis, and besides that, many of them are the same products just with different names.
I wish everyone well and I look forward to answering any of your questions and discussing your concerns. I hope to see you all very soon on the reservoir. One last note, any meetings that you have that you would like for me to attend to answer questions just give me a shout, I’ll get it on the schedule if at all possible.
Thanks,
Troy L. Goldsby
Aqua Services, Inc.
256-572-4464
[email protected]
</p>
